Letter-box



(No Model.)

C. A. WHELAN.

- LETTER B0X.

Illllrll Patented Mar. 31.1891.

WWA/3353.' lw u l wfzmf w f-v A TTOHNE YS UNrTnD STATES CHARLES A.VI'IELAN, OE ASPEN, COLORADO.

LE'TTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,149, dated March31, 1891.

Application filed May 21, 1890. Serial No. 352,678. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concer/t:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WHELAN, of Aspen, in the county of Pitkinand State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to providea simple and secure streetletter-box for the reception ot' letters and mail-matter, which, whilepermitting of the deposit ot' the letter' or package, precludes theremoval of the same except by a special door under the control of themail-carrier.

It consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of anoscillating cylinder and a cut-off door operated by the oscillatingcylinder for cutting off access to the bottom of the box when thecylinder is rotated to open the top of the box, as hereinafter fullydescribed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the extension of the box. Fig. 2 is avertical crosssection with the cylindrical lid closed, and Fig. 3 is asimilar view with the cylindrical lid open.

In the drawings, G represents the case of the mail-box, which ispreferably made of metal, with a semi-cylindrical upper end and a hingedand locked door M at the lower portion of one of its ends, which door islfor the use of the mail-carrier for the purpose of removing thecontents of the box. One-half of the cylindrical top of the box is leftopen, and over and lwithin this portion there plays the cylindrical lidA. This cylinder is hung at its ends upon trunnions or pins F, aboutwhich it is oscillated, and about onethird of the periphery of thiscylinder is omitted or cut away. The upper edge of this cylinder isprovided with a lip or ange I, which, when the cylinder is closed, restsupon the lower edge of the opening in the case and forms a water-shed.This flange also serves as a handle for raising and opening thecylindrical lid. Inside the case and near the lower edge of the openingthere is hung or pivoted at D a cut-olf door K, which has at each endabove its fulcrum a toe or projection O, which is arranged to be struckby a cam B, ixed to the inner side of each end of the oscillatingcylindrical lid A. Ordinarily when the lid of the box is closed thesecams B rest just beneath the toe O of the cut-off .door K, and thelatter hangs-down vertically,

leaving the cylinder A in open communication with the bottom of the box.Vhen, however, the lid is raised by lifting the flange I, the cams Bstrike the toes C of the cut-oft' door above its fulcruiu and throw thecut-ott door K upwardly, as shown by the arrow, so as to enter thecylinder A and rest against its inner periphery, as shown in Fig. 3,thus effecting the double operation of opening the cylinder for thereception of mail-matter and closing communication with the lowerportion of the box, so that access cannot be had to the contents below.Then when the flange I is brought down again the cut-off door K dropsout of the cylinder and allows the package deposited therein to fall tothe bottoni of the box. Upon the outer periphery of the cylinder, nearits top when closed, is a bead or Harige II, which prevents rain andsnow from driving over the top of the lid and inside the case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. rlhecombination, with the box or outer casing, of an oscillating cylinderhung upon trunnions or pivots at its ends and having one side open, anda hinged ciitoi door, arranged substantially as described, to beconnected to and thrown inside of said cylinder by the rotation of thelatter.

2. The combination, with the box or outer casing, of an oscillatingcylinder hung upon trunnions or pivots at its ends and having one sideopen and cams I3 at its ends, and a hinged cut-ottl door K, having toesor lprojections C above its fulcrum, arranged to be struck by the camsto throw the cut-off door inside the cylinder, substantially as shownand described.

3. The combination, with the box or casing having a cylindrical top withone side thereotl open, a cylinder A, hung upon pivots or trunnions atits ends and having one side open, with a lip or iange I, a head H, andcams l5, and the cut-off door K, hinged to the casing and having aboveits t'ulcrum toes O, arranged to be struck by the cams of the cylinder,substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES A. WTI'IELAN.

Witnesses:

LEWIS STONE, L. S. WoLnn.

IOO

